Eagles running back Jay Ajayi was puzzled by the decision to not lean on the ground game, particularly early, in Sunday’s 23-21 loss to the Minnesota Vikings which dropped the defending champs to 2-3 on the season.

“Obviously we want to be able to run the ball early and start that rhythm early in the beginning of the game. If I remember correctly, we had maybe three carries at the end of the first quarter,” he told reporters afterwards.

Ajayi, who is playing with a transverse fracture in his back, didn’t receive his first carry until the second quarter, and the Eagles called just four meaningful runs over the first half while falling behind 17-3.

The Eagles went run-heavy to start the second half against Minnesota and found immediate success, but Ajayi fumbled at the Vikings’ 5-yard line to squander the opportunity.